Jul 22 2008
Leave of Absence - Key or Curse?
When you want to reach new levels in sport, training hard is important but I’m sure you’ve heard about burnout. Sometimes taking some time out away from training can be just the thing to help you break the barrier into the next level. You can find yourself improving in leaps and bounds upon returning to your sport after a short leave of absence.
There are times when being away can be a curse, however. That is when you’ve taken too long a break from your sport. This was what my SIL2 discovered when she started doing Yoga again yesterday after stopping for a couple of years (she went to the States to complete her degree). The body couldn’t perform as well as what the mind remembers being able to do and she was naturally frustrated.
Well, I can identify with that. A few years back, I took a break from climbing and when I started climbing again, it was intensely frustrating to find I couldn’t climb like I used to. It was a strange sensation because I would look at a route and assess it assuming my ability was still as it was before the break. When I couldn’t grip a hold or make a move like I remembered being able to do, there was at first surprise - the kind where you do a double take and wonder if someone is playing a trick on you. When you discover it was no mistake, frustration sets in.
While it is naturally to lose some level of competency, the up side is that it will take you a lot less time to build it back up compared to the first time you learned the skill. That is because your body already remembers how things work. It’s just your muscles that have weakened. To put it another way - it’s like riding a bike. You never really forget how. Even though you might be a little wobbly getting back onto the bike after years of not riding, you still know how to ride and that means you’ll pick up your ability a lot faster the second time around.
In fact, once you regain your strength, you’ll find yourself improving again and even breaking your glass ceiling.
Popularity: 17% [?]
What is RSS? How do I subscribe via RSS?
Other posts that might interest you:
